The Invisible Hand

DISSENT

If you weren't reading closely, you might get the idea the staff actually knew some economics. A further look, however, reveals the staff's shaky grasp of market forces. For instance, the Northeastern police department's higher salaries probably reflect a more dangerous job-site. Furthermore, when has a union ever claimed to have too high a pay level during contract negotiations?

The clincher, of course, is the fact that at this moment, waiting in line for Harvard police positions are men and women ready to work for current wages. Obviously, the staff has no idea what it means when they speak of officers being "rewarded accordingly."

The patrol officers' case is another textbook example of a union's serving no one's interest but its own and the staff's falling sucker to pathetic advertising.